<h2>Fair Trade Fruit Week</h2> <p>Even though it feels like springtime in Edmonton this week, it is actuallythe middle of winter and that means you'll find lots of good local storage root crops and winter greens in your box, plus some stored apples and pearsfrom our BC farms. However, it is peak growing season in central america and we are excited to offer you an excellent selection of<strong> fair trade certified organic fruits </strong>in your box. We have a fresh shipment of our very special bananas, plus blueberries, avocados, grapefruit and mango. As the season progresses you'll see fair tradepineapples too!</p> <p><strong>Some Local Farm Updates</strong></p> <p><u>Peas On Earth Organic Garden</u> - Eric and Ruby have finished up for the season, but we still have lots of stored beets, carrots, kale and squash in the reefer trailers parked on their farm. Visit them at the Old Strathcona Farmer's Market over the winter months.</p> <p><u>Sundog Organic Farm</u> - James and Jenny welcomed the birth of their third son on January 2nd. After their first season on the new 10 acre farm near Gibbons they are taking it easy with their new baby and making preparations for another fantastic season in 2012. They will be at the Edmonton downtown farmer's market starting in the spring.</p> <p><u>Sunrise Gardens</u> - Dawn has finishedthe greenhouse expansion on her farm in Onoway, this means we'll be able to offer her microgreens through the entire winter, and in March she will have baby green salad mixfor us. Dawn is at the Old Strathcona Farmer's Market over the winter months.</p> <p><u>Halwa Farms</u>- We've exhausted Vincen's potato supply for this year, he is working on his 2012 plans and we look forward to his new crop in the early summer. Vincen has some of the best farmland in Alberta near Thorsby and it has always been organic - never sprayed in its history.</p> <p><u>Roy's Raspberries</u> - Harvey and Lorraine are spending a month in the hot sun after finishing their most successful year ever in the Raspberry Business. We have lots of frozen raspberries available in our freezer, and the bushes are sleeping until the spring blooms. They'll be back with us in July 2012.</p> <p><u>Just-A-Mere Organic Farm</u> - Danny and Miranda, in addition to owning The Organic Box, also own and operate Just-A-Mere Organic Farm in Creston, BC. The 2011 season is over and Margaret our farm manager is busy pruning the cherry and apple trees in preparation for spring blooms. We are leaving 4 acres fallow this year and will be planting pumpkin, spaghetti squash, acorn squash and cantaloupe on those plots to work the soil and build nutrient and micro-organism health. </p> <p>You can find out more about our producers, both local and distant, on our <a title="producers" href="/featured-producer-profile.aspx">producers</a> page. </p> <h2>Looking for More Produce?</h2> <p>If you would like to get more produce than is in your standard box, you can click 'Weekly Produce Listing' in the categories and add extra items to your order. Make sure you are feeding your loved ones food that is healthy, sustainable and brought to you with the love and devotion of our team and the producers in our food family. <br /><br />You can also add on many grocery items by clicking on the categories to the left of your screen as you are choosing your box. We would love it if you did not have to make any rush trips to the grocery store. We are working towards having everything that you need. Including chocolate, snacks for lunches, flours, and grains. </p> <h2>Featured Frozen Fruit Producers</h2> <table cellspacing="15" cellpadding="0" bgcolor="#edf0e9"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" align="center"><p><br /><br /><br /><a title="/uploadedImages/009_-_This_Week/Frozen Berries.jpg" onkeypress="this.onclick();" onclick="try{window.open('/uploadedImages/009_-_This_Week/Frozen%20Berries.jpg', 'MyImage', 'resizable=yes, scrollbars=yes, width=790, height=580')}catch(e){};return false;" href="#"><img title="/uploadedImages/009_-_This_Week/Frozen Berries.jpg" alt="/uploadedImages/009_-_This_Week/Frozen Berries.jpg" border="0" src="/uploadedImages/009_-_This_Week/thumb_Frozen Berries.jpg" /></a></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p><br /><img style="WIDTH: 132px; HEIGHT: 97px" title="Raspberry Muffins" alt="Raspberry Muffins" src="/uploadedImages/009_-_This_Week/BananaRaspberryMuffins.jpg" width="132" height="97" /></p> </td> <td><h2>Roy's Raspberries</h2> <p>Harvey and Lorraine operate the second generation raspberry farm just outside of Edmonton and produce some of the finest raspberries in Alberta. They grow ten varieties of red raspberries and two golden varieties, all of which are available in the summer months. You can either pick your own directly at the farm, or they are available through The Organic Box, fresh and ready to eat. After a very successful 2011 Lorraine and Harvey are on a very deserved holiday. Luckily, they left us with a freezer full of fantastic quality frozen raspberries which are great for pies, smoothies,cheesecakes, and muffins like these ones:</p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong>Raspberry-Banana Muffins <br /><br /></strong>2 cups - flour <br />1/2 tsp. - baking powder <br />3/4 tsp. - baking soda <br />1/4 tsp. - salt <br />1/4 lb - butter or margarine <br />1 cup - granulated sugar <br />2 - eggs <br />3 - overripe bananas <br />1/4 cup - sour cream <br />1 tsp. - vanilla <br />2 cups - raspberries <br />1/2 cup - chopped toasted almonds (optional) <br /><br /><br />Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cream butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs. Puree bananas, sour cream and vanilla. Alternate add dry ingredients in 3 additions and banana mixture in 2 additions to the egg mixture. Beat enough to incorporate. Fold in raspberries and toasted almonds. Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake in a preheated 350F oven for about 25 minutes, until puffed, browned and springy. <br /><br />Makes about 15 muffins <br /><br />Recipe from: <a title="Roy's Raspberries" href="http://roysraspberries.com/Recipes.htm" target="_blank">Roy's Raspberries</a></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" align="center"><p><br /><br /><a title="Frozen Strawberries" onkeypress="this.onclick();" onclick="try{window.open('/uploadedImages/009_-_This_Week/frozenstrawberries.jpg', 'MyImage', 'resizable=yes, scrollbars=yes, width=790, height=580')}catch(e){};return false;" href="#"><img title="Frozen Strawberries" alt="Frozen Strawberries" border="0" src="/uploadedImages/009_-_This_Week/thumb_frozenstrawberries.jpg" /></a></p> </td> <td><h2 id="fpProducerName">Shady Lane</h2> <p>Shady Lane is a family farm dedicated to sustainable and direct farm marketing. Based out of Lac La Biche, Shady Lane was certified organic in 2001 and have since provided Alberta with an amazing variety of seasonal and heritage berries. Along with farmers markets and The Organic Box, they also operate as a U-pick farm and provide a wonderful atmosphere to be outdoors and eating fresh berries. For the longer winter months we here at The Organic Box are happy to be offering 1.25 lb bags of frozen strawberries from the Shady Lane farm. Much like raspberries, these strawberries are wonderful in cakes, pies, muffins, or added to your morning breakfast. Here is a strawberry smoothie to get your day started right:</p> <p><br /><strong>All-Around Good Smoothie</strong></p> <p>1/2 cup - nonfat milk<br />1/2 cup - fat free plain yoghurt<br />1/2 - frozen banana (peeled and chopped)<br />1 1/2 tbs. - flax seed<br />1 tsp. - honey<br />1/2 cup - frozen strawberries</p> <p>Blend all the ingredients together until desired consistency. This basic smoothie recipeis great as is, or even better when improvised on with whatever you like. </p> <p>Recipe from: <a title="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/all-around-good-smoothie/detail.aspx" href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/all-around-good-smoothie/detail.aspx" target="_blank">http://allrecipes.com/recipe/all-around-good-smoothie/detail.aspx</a></p> <p></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
